Beer has been a subject for commercial artists since the late 19th century, when European breweries were among the first businesses to commission large-format lithographed advertising. French and German printmakers were especially active in this tradition, producing work that ranged from straightforward brand promotion to richly illustrated festival imagery. The annual Oktoberfest posters are a good example: Munich commissioned a new design each year, turning a recurring event into a sustained body of graphic art. Period originals from this tradition span nearly a century of brewing culture.